Question about Skills for Pets

Stratics Veteran

When I'm diligent about training a pet, I keep a spreadsheet of all of their stats, skills, etc. As the skills increase, I increase them on the spread sheet. When they appear to have maxed out, I change the color of the text to red. I have a GD who appears maxed out on all but two skills: Tactics 112.4 and Resist Spells 116.1 -- at least those are the numbers in black text on my spreadsheet. I know the GD has died a lot in this past invasion which drops skills until they can be regained. Do skills ever drop permanently? I'm worried about the Resist Spells skill because it is now 111.8, well below the 116.1 and all the other skills are at their max number other than Magery which is at 106.9 when known high point was 112.1. Just wondering if there is something I don't know about how the skill gaining works with pets. It seems that the Resist Spells skill has been way below the known high point for some time, even before the recent invasion and slew of deaths. But I've been playing only sporadically for the past two years so I'm not certain. Any insights would be most welcome.

Stratics VeteranStratics Legend

I believe the only permanent skill loss is at the time of a successful tame. There is a calculation for skills over 100 as to what they will come out at (something like 85% of pre-tame value - just as an example). I have a GDragon that has not yet hit his potential high in resist (I calculated it at ~116.9 at time of taming). He hovered around 110 for a long while, when I was preferring to run with rune/bake or the cu. However, the invasion has seen an increase in his usage and also in his resists. It has ballooned to > 114 (bards help so much with this).

I have found that, in regards to the skills GDragons have > 100, wrestling and anatomy tactics are quite easy get back to max, magery is difficult, and resist is downright slow. Discording your dragon can definitely help (as the bard captain does in the invasion), so either disco your pet directly, or maybe fight some satyrs in the weld?

Stratics Veteran

I believe the only permanent skill loss is at the time of a successful tame. There is a calculation for skills over 100 as to what they will come out at (something like 85% of pre-tame value - just as an example). I have a GDragon that has not yet hit his potential high in resist (I calculated it at ~116.9 at time of taming). He hovered around 110 for a long while, when I was preferring to run with rune/bake or the cu. However, the invasion has seen an increase in his usage and also in his resists. It has ballooned to > 114 (bards help so much with this).

I have found that, in regards to the skills GDragons have > 100, wrestling and anatomy are quite easy get back to max, magery is difficult, and resist is downright slow. Discording your dragon can definitely help (as the bard captain does in the invasion), so either disco your pet directly, or maybe fight some satyrs in the weld?

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Good suggestions and info that was unknown to me. I have some relatively nice pets but don't really know that much about the taming aspects. From my records it had 116+ resist spells at one point, but now quite low and I don't recall last time I saw it approaching the 116. Thanks for insights.

Stratics VeteranAlumni

Other than at taming time, none of your pet's skills should drop permanently.

For resist, my favourite method is to take my pets to the hedge maze or anywhere I could find a load of imps or small casters. Get them targeting and casting on your pet and heal any damage he takes. Ensure you tell your pet to "stop" then stay so he doesn't fight back and kill the spawn. Have as many casters as you can. When they get low on mana they sometimes just cast slow and gentle, so I often just tell my pet to guard me then it kills that batch. I go round up some more and we start again. Any small casters can do the trick, and it goes faster if your pet is discorded. But even if you can't disco your pet, a lot of casters pelting it with spells should get the resist up again. There are quite a lot of good little spots in Ilsh where you can train pet resist like this.

With tactics, just like wrestling, your pet needs to be roughly at the same skill as what he's fighting or he may not gain. I like creatures that are equal to or just above my pet's skills, so the most likely cause of no tactics gains is fighting the wrong stuff. Lore anything you fight and check its tactics. If it casts too, it will help with the resist.

Discording your pets for training helps a lot too, just adjust what you fight to match it's skills and allow for the pet being weaker.

Stratics Veteran

Other than at taming time, none of your pet's skills should drop permanently.

For resist, my favourite method is to take my pets to the hedge maze or anywhere I could find a load of imps or small casters. Get them targeting and casting on your pet and heal any damage he takes. Ensure you tell your pet to "stop" then stay so he doesn't fight back and kill the spawn. Have as many casters as you can. When they get low on mana they sometimes just cast slow and gentle, so I often just tell my pet to guard me then it kills that batch. I go round up some more and we start again. Any small casters can do the trick, and it goes faster if your pet is discorded. But even if you can't disco your pet, a lot of casters pelting it with spells should get the resist up again. There are quite a lot of good little spots in Ilsh where you can train pet resist like this.

With tactics, just like wrestling, your pet needs to be roughly at the same skill as what he's fighting or he may not gain. I like creatures that are equal to or just above my pet's skills, so the most likely cause of no tactics gains is fighting the wrong stuff. Lore anything you fight and check its tactics. If it casts too, it will help with the resist.

Discording your pets for training helps a lot too, just adjust what you fight to match it's skills and allow for the pet being weaker.

Wenchy

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Thanks Wenchy. Unfortunately, I didn't know enough about taming when I trained the GD to check his skills. Wasn't sure how they translated to post-taming. The hedge maze sounds like a great place. I have a bard on a second account, so I have the ability to discord it. Just a matter of finding the time. Also, with respect to the tactics mentioned by a prior poster, the GD is back up to its high point for tactics. Been fighting the invasion with it, so the competition has been fierce. Probably getting good gains from them. So I should know soon whether it is maxed out on tactics. Assuming I can keep it alive for extended periods. Not sure there is a way to keep it alive against the bards. Anyone have any suggestions on that?

Stratics VeteranAlumni

It's handy to wait till there's a decent sized group before you tackle the bards, then it's usually quite safe. I find if I don't cast directly onto the bard, they don't seem to discord me. So then I just stand firm and vet as necessary.

Stratics Veteran

Good luck, and let us know what you find, if you do end up trying a disco/training session.

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Went to the hedge maze today and was able to get GD's resist back to 116.1, apparently that is its max. Now, I just need to get its magery back up. What is the best way y'all have found to get magery gains for your pets?

Stratics Veteran

Take it to the swoops. Wait for one to get up on a cliff where the dragon can't physically attack it. All the drag can do is use magic and he will gain. It will take a lllloooonnnngggg time lol. The other option, also slow and boring, is to put him on a shadow ele. Otherwise just play him in game, and he will slowly get it back, as long as you don't keep killing him hehe.

Stratics Veteran

Take it to the swoops. Wait for one to get up on a cliff where the dragon can't physically attack it. All the drag can do is use magic and he will gain. It will take a lllloooonnnngggg time lol. The other option, also slow and boring, is to put him on a shadow ele. Otherwise just play him in game, and he will slowly get it back, as long as you don't keep killing him hehe.

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Thanks. At swoops, I can try to get him discorded also. I was hoping there might be another way. Perhaps I will try swoops today.

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